FERC: Renewable Energy Integration Rule Eliminates Undue Burdens

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a final rule that promotes the more efficient operation of the transmission system amid increasing integration of variable energy resources. The rule adopts two reforms from a November 2010 notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) by requiring transmission providers to offer customers the option of scheduling transmission service at 15-minute intervals and by requiring generators using variable energy resources to provide transmission owners with certain data to support power production forecasting. Although the rule does not require the standard approach to generator regulation service proposed in the NOPR, it gives guidance on how FERC will evaluate proposed charges for that service. “Variable energy resources make up an increasing share of new capacity coming on-line,” says Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of FERC. “This final...